The Middlebury Campus

Issue date: 2/10/05 Section: News

Media Credit: Albert Bitici File Photo [Click to enlarge]

Students across campus are fumbling in their pockets for cards after a Feb. 5 announcement from the Department of Public Safety unveiling a new schedule for the residence hall locking system. As of Sunday, all residence halls have been locked at nine o'clock at night, and dormitories are not accessible without a Middlebury College proximate access card until seven a.m. Prior to this announcement, residence halls locked at 11 p.m.

The announcement and change in policy follow another intrusion in the Ross Commons complex. On Jan. 30, Public Safety released a Community Safety Alert, addressing an intrusion in LaForce Hall. At approximately six a.m., a student on the third floor of LaForce found a male lying on the floor next to the bed. The resident confronted the male, but the suspect left the room before the student could identify the intruder.

The crime alert described the suspect as a black male with a light complexion between 18 and 19 years old. The suspect is 5'10" or 5'11" with dark hair between one and two inches long. At the time of the intrusion he was wearing a reddish shirt and unknown pants and shoes.

Students have already expressed general dissatisfaction with the new locking schedule. "It's a pain in the butt to have the doors locked at 9 o'clock at night," said Haylee Freeman '06.5.

At the heart of student annoyance with the new locking schedule is the widespread belief that intrusions are not serious offenses. Students have been less than thrilled by the influx of Community Safety Alerts, and many now view the occurrences as laughable.

"There's a lot of [crime alerts], which is not a good sign, but on the other hand it seems like after the first couple of times it became sort of a joke," said Jen Williams '07.

In less extreme circumstances, students simply delete the recurring Public Safety announcements, writing intrusions off as drunken mistakes.

"It's a Saturday night and there are going to be drunk people around on campus; you should lock your doors if you're going to sleep," said Freeman.

In defense of the lockdown, Public Safety reasserted the gravity of the intrusions. While the crime alerts now seem routine to many students, the incidents, according to Public Safety, are fairly unique to this year.

Continued...

Page 1 of 3 next >

Article Tools